Yarn-coil winding machine



Feb. 12, 1963 s. FURST YARN-COIL WINDING MACHINE Filed June 3, 1960 pri My invention relates to yarn-coil winding machines and, in a more particular aspect, to those of the automatic type.

ln automatic winding machines, any stoppage of winding operation in one of the many winding stations is automaticaliy eliminated by means of yarn-seeking devices which, in the event of yarn breakage or depletion of a yarn supply coil, seek and seize the yarn end at a given location, for example in the vicinity of the yarn cleaner, and which then convey the yarn end to a knotting device where the yarn end coming from the take-up spool and the yarn end from the supply coil are tied together before the winding operation is continued.

In my copending application Serial No. 802,222, filed March 26, i959, and in that of myself and Helmut Wolff, Serial No. 800,492, led March 19, 1959, now abandoned, are described such machines and also devices for preventing the loose yarn end from becoming wrapped around the yarn guiding drum when the yarn breaks between the supply coil and take-up spool.

The yarn path in such automatic winding machines extends from the supply coil, such as a spinning cop, through a yarn tensioner and yarn cleaner to a yarn guide which passes onto a take-up spool. When the yarn tears in the yarn cleaner or tensioner, the yarn end coming from the take-up spool will be wound up on that spool, and the yarn end coming from the supply coil remains retained in the cleaner or tensioner so that no dangling yarn end that might become entangled with nearby machine parts will occur. However when the yarn breaks between the yarn cleaner and the take-up spool, there remains a long yarn end coming from the supply coil, and this end may become entangled with, or adherent to neighboring machine components, particularly in machines which operate with a jet of compressed air directed toward the yarn for cleaning it from dust and lint. Such occurrence may interfere with the subsequent knotting operation because, when the yarn end is held fast by neighboring machine parts, the normal transfer of that yarn end to the knetter may become infeasible or faulty. if the machine comprises movable parts in the range of motion of such a broken and dangling yarn end, such moving parts may entrain the adherent yarn end, and this may also cause disturbances.

it is an object of my invention to eliminate such deticiencies.

To this end, and in accordance with my invention, l provide a 'winding machine, particularly an automatic machine for winding cross-Wound yarn packages also called cheeses, with a device for keeping and retaining any broken yarn ends, this device being mounted and active in the yarn path extending between supply coil and take-up spool. Preferably used as such a yarn-end retaining device is a suction tube which pulls the yarn end into its interior and thus prevents it from touching other components of the winding machine. The retaining device, according to another feature of my invention, is preferably located in the yarn-travel direction behind the seeking location for the yarn end, namely preferably behind the yarn cleaner and ahead of the yarn guide over which the yarn normally passes onto the take-up spool.

According to another feature of my invention I provide the yarn-seeking device of such a machine with control means cooperating with the yarn-end retaining device so as `ric to release the yarn end from the retaining device during the seeking operation. When using a suction tube as a yarnend retaining device, such control is preferably eifected by means of a valve which is controlled by the yarn-seeking device as soon as the latter enters int-o operation and which then interrupts the flow of suction air.

According to a more specific feature of my invention the control valve in the suction tube for the yarn-end retaining device is provided with a mechanical linkage which is articulately joined with the see-ker arm of the yarn seeking device and which closes the valve when the seeker arm turns from its normal position of rest.

The foregoing and other objects, advantages and features `of my invention, as well as the novel features of the invention as set forth in the claims annexed hereto, with be apparent from and will be mentioned in the following with reference to the drawing showing by Way of example a partly sectional lateral View of a winding machine according to the invention.

The machine frame structure 1 is common to a number of individual Winding stations arranged in series, for example as illustrated in application Serial No. 757,757, of Manfred Rhl, led August 28, 1958.. The frame l carries a rotatable shaft 2a on which a yarn guiding drum 2 is mounted in each individual station. Also mounted on frame structure l in each individual station is a dangling frame 4 which is pivotally movable about a pivot 4a of the frame l and serves as a bearing for a takeup spool 3. During operation of the machine the body of yarn wound onto the spool 3 rests against the periphery of the yarn guiding drum 2 which rotates at constant speed so as to drive the take-up spool at constant peripheral speed regardless of the increasing diameter of the yarn package. The yarn F passing onto the ta xe-up spool 3 is guided by a generally helical groove (not illustrated) of the yarn guide 2, the groove being closed upon itself so as to reciprocate the yarn axially along the take-up spool While the yarn is being Wound up. As a result a cross-wound yarn package is produced on the take-up spool in the conventional manner.

Each individual Winding station further comprises a holder lo for a supply coil or cop 12. During operation, the yarn from coil i2 passes over a stationarily mounted drive member 13, thence through a yarn tensioner i4 which is likewise mounted on the frame structure and may consist of two discs forced against each other by a spring in order to impart a desired tension to the yarn between the tensioner and the take-up spool. From the yarn tensioner f4 the yarn F passes through a yarn cleaner which, by way of example, is shown to have a pivoted blade or comb member 15 located opposite a rigid support lSa so as to form a narrow gap together therewith. Both the yarn tensioner 14 and yarn cleaner thus impart tension to the yarn. Any lint or dust adhering to the yarn is stripped off as the yarn passes through the cleaner. if the yarn contains lumps or other irregularities of greater thickness than permissible, the yarn cleaner blade i5 is closed against the support 15a thus cutting or tearing the yarn in order to prevent faulty spots from reaching the take-up spool 3. In such event, as well as when yarn breakage occurs for any other reason or the supply coil i2 becomes exhausted, it is unnecessary to tie the yarn end coming from the take-up spool 3 together with the yarn end from the supply coil l2 or, as the case may be, from a new supply coil that may have been substituted for a depleted supply coil.

As mentioned, in the event of such yarn breakage between the yarn cieaner blade :t5 and the take-up spool, there remains a long yarn end coming from the supply coil which, since it is not restrained by any means may become adherent to or entangled in movable aparts or other parts of the winding machine, thus interfering with the performance of theY subsequent yarn-seeking and knotting operations.

For performing such yarn seeking and knotting operations, the machine is provided with a servicing device which comprises a yarn-seeker arm consisting in theV illustrated embodiment of a curved suction tube which is pivotally movable at 5a and has a suction nozzle 5b at its free end. The servicing device further comprises a second yarn seeker tube 6 which is pivoted -at 6a and has a suction nozzle at 6b at its free end. Both suction tubes 5 and 6Vcooperate with a knotter 7, and are moved by means of cam mechanisms s uch as those described andV illustrated in my U.S. Patent 2,733,870, issued February 7, 1956. The servicing device may either be stationary or it may form part of a movable unit (tender) that travels along a` number of winding stations in order to perform the necessary yarn seeking and knotting operations in 4any of them whenever. such operations are required. Such. movable servicing units are morev fully described in my copending.. applications Serial No. 728,139, tiled April 14, 1958, andSerial No.- 795,151, led February 24, 1959.

Since the design yand performance of the servicing cornponents are known as vsuch and are more fully described in the above-mentioned applications, it will suiiice to briefly `describe below their` operation in the event of yarn breakage. Further referencev may also be had to application SerialV No. 15,503v of Walter Reiners, led

March 16, 1960 for a description of suitable control.

devices. When the yarn F is` broken, a yarn `guard or feeler (not illustrated), normally spring-biased against the yarn travelling between the cleaner 15 and the guiding drum 2, becomes deected and thus closes a circuit to put the servicing unit into operation. The seeker arm 5 turnsclockwise along the circle 5c to the position shown at 5d, where it nozzle end 5b is close to the take-up spool 3. The suction tube then' entrains the yarn end coming from the take-up spool 3 and thereafter turns back into the illustrated full-line position, thus placing the yarn end from the take-up spool 3 into the position F' where thisV endis within the action vrange of the knotter. In the meantimel the suction tube 6 has turned counterclockwise about its pivot 6a along the circle 6c to the position shown at 6d Where the suction nozzle 6b' entrains the yarn end from the supply coil 12. The arm 6d then turns back to the illustrated full-line position and thus places the second yarn end also into the active range of the knotter which thereafter operates to tie the two yarn ends together.

Linked to the suction tube 6 is a connecting rod 8 whose other end is linked to the 4actuatingmember of a control valve 9. Air Valve 9 may be controlled in a manner similar to that illustrated in FIGS. `4 and 5 of U.S. Patent Y2,338,914 of Esser, or in FIG. 3 of my copending application Serial No. 750,382, led July 23, 1958. The valve 9 is normally in the illustrated, vopen position and then connects ,a suction tube 10 with a vacuum-pressure duct 11v which may be'connected to the same source of negative pressure as the pivoted ends of the respective suction" tubes 5 `and 6. The nozzle opening of suction tube 10 is located in the vicinity ofthe yarn F passing from the supply coil 12 through the tensioner 14 and cleaner 15 tothe guiding drum 2 and the .take-up spool 3. When the yarn, during winding operation, is broken or torn between the cleaner 15. and the take-up spool 3, the yarn end F coming from the supply coil 12 is sucked into the tube 10 and thus is taken out of the range of the machine parts'in the vicinity of the yarn path. The spacingbetween the suction opening of tube 10 to the valve 9 is made longer than the yarn path F between the suction tube 10 and the take-up spool 3.

If after the occurrance of yarn breakage the yarn seeking operation commences, which may require some period of time if the servicing device travels along the winding stations and is not immediately available at the particular station Where the breakage occurred, then the yarn isV kept ready within the suction tube 10. This prevents the yarn from becoming entangled with or adherent to any other structural part of the machine. As soon -as the arm 6 commences its seeking operation, the rod 8 closes the valve 9 so that the yarn end F is no longer under the effect of a current of suction air and can be pulledV out of the suction tube 10 without hindrance.

The device according to the invention` thus reduces the possibilities of trouble, facilitates the attendance required by the automatic winding machine, and secures AaV reliable seeking and knottingfof the yarn. ends.

It will'be obvious to those u skilled in thel art, upon studying this disclosure, that devices accordingsto my invention can be modiiicdin various respects and hence may befembodiedin. devices -othergthan particularly illustrated and described herein, Without departinglfrorn the essential features ofHmyinventionand-Awithin the,

scope of the claims annexed-hereto..

1. Inl an automatic *windingl machine forA rewinding ka textile filament taken from al larnent-supply coil stationed thereon, holder` means *mounted on thermachine to receive and to carrythe replacement coil while being unwound, a take-up spool lon which the filament is rewound,.a drumforrotatingthe Yspool and guiding the filament theretoVzanautomatic ufilament tying vdevice to tie the filament starting end of a replacement coil to the trailing end of a lament'of said coil on the take-up spool', pivoted gripper. means to seize the trailing endI and move it'toward the tying means, second pivoted gripper means to seizefthe starting end of a replacement coil -at a. pre-y determined seeking locationfand move said starting end toward the tying device, and filament-end retaining means having an opening behind said seeking location relative to the 4filament-travel direction for Vinducting into the re taining means the filament end when the lament breaks alongv the travel path between said supply coil and said take-up spool, said filament-endA retaining means corn` prising a suction tube for connection to a source of negative pressure, said yarn end entraining means including a control device having valve means for disconnecting said suction tube from said negative-pressure source during'the seeking operation of said second gripper means.

2. In ya yarn winding machine according to claimn 1, said control device comprising linking means operably connecting said second gripper means with said valve means for opening and closing the source of. negative pressure tol said suction tube.'

3. A device according to claim 1, including tensionproducing means comprising a yarn cleaner disposed along said yarn path, said opening being located subsequent and adjacent to said yarn cleaner.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNTED- STATES PATENTS 2,733,870 v Furst Feb. 7, 1956 2,946,173 Bahnson -c July 26, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 535,183 Belgium Feb. 15, 1955 1,180,842 France Jan. 5, 1959 

1. IN AN AUTOMATIC WINDING MACHINE FOR REWINDING A TEXTILE FILAMENT TAKEN FROM A FILAMENT-SUPPLY COIL STATIONED THEREON, HOLDER MEANS MOUNTED ON THE MACHINE TO RECEIVE AND TO CARRY THE REPLACEMENT COIL WHILE BEING UNWOUND, A TAKE-UP SPOOL ON WHICH THE FILAMENT IS REWOUND, A DRUM FOR ROTATING THE SPOOL AND GUIDING THE FILAMENT THERETO, AN AUTOMATIC FILAMENT TYING DEVICE TO TIE THE FILAMENT STARTING END OF A REPLACEMENT COIL TO THE TRAILING END OF A FILAMENT OF SAID COIL ON THE TAKE-UP SPOOL; PIVOTED GRIPPER MEANS TO SEIZE THE TRAILING END AND MOVE IT TOWARD THE TYING MEANS, SECOND PIVOTED GRIPPER MEANS TO SEIZE THE STARTING END OF A REPLACEMENT COIL AT A PREDETERMINED SEEKING LOCATION AND MOVE SAID STARTING END TOWARD THE TYING DEVICE, AND FILAMENT-END RETAINING MEANS HAVING AN OPENING BEHIND SAID SEEKING LOCATION RELATIVE TO THE FILAMENT-TRAVEL DIRECTION FOR INDUCTING INTO THE RETAINING MEANS THE FILAMENT END WHEN THE FILAMENT BREAKS ALONG THE TRAVEL PATH BETWEEN SAID SUPPLY COIL AND SAID TAKE-UP SPOOL, SAID FILAMENT-END RETAINING MEANS COMPRISING A SUCTION TUBE FOR CONNECTION TO A SOURCE OF NEGATIVE PRESSURE, SAID YARN END ENTRAINING MEANS INCLUDING A CONTROL DEVICE HAVING VALVE MEANS FOR DISCONNECTING SAID SUCTION TUBE FROM SAID NEGATIVE-PRESSURE SOURCE DURING THE SEEKING OPERATION OF SAID SECOND GRIPPER MEANS. 